Whitney Houston's Real Name: Whitney Elizabeth Houston

Quick answer: Whitney Houston's real name was Whitney Elizabeth Houston. She was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, and died on February 11, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California. She performed under her birth name.

Whitney Houston's real name

Houston was born Whitney Elizabeth Houston to gospel and soul singer Cissy Houston and John Russell Houston (Britannica). Her cousin was singer Dionne Warwick, and Aretha Franklin was a family friend often described as her "honorary aunt." She never used a stage name.

Early life and gospel roots

Houston grew up in Newark and East Orange, New Jersey, and sang in the choir at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. As a teenager she sang backing vocals for her mother and artists such as Chaka Khan, and also worked as a fashion model (Britannica).

Record-breaking career

Arista Records chief Clive Davis signed her in 1983. Her 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston, became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time and produced the No. 1 hits "Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All."

Between 1985 and 1988 she had seven consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, a record that still stands, including "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "So Emotional" (Billboard). Her rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl became famous and was released as a single.

The Bodyguard and acting

Houston made her film debut opposite Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard (1992). Her cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, and the soundtrack became one of the best-selling albums ever and won the Grammy for album of the year (Billboard). She also starred in Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996).

Over her career she won six Grammy Awards.

Personal life and death

Houston married singer Bobby Brown in 1992; their daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was born in 1993. The couple divorced in 2007. Houston spoke publicly about her struggles with drug use.

On February 11, 2012, the night before the Grammy Awards, she was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled the death an accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors (Britannica). She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 (Rock Hall).

The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (CD/vinyl) Remembering Whitney by Cissy Houston (book)